Looking for Direction
by The Little Violist Composer
Summary: What would happen if the Glee club went to a smaller school? Join the New Directions as they attend Milwaukee School of languages, with different problems than your traditional high school.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Glee.

Quinn Fabray wasn't from a small town, by any stretch of the imagination. Milwaukee, Wisconsin had over half of a million occupants, rather large for not being the capital city. Her high school however, was small, with a sense of camaraderie that only comes from knowing your peers since kindergarten. Quinn went to Milwaukee German Immersion School before graduating to Milwaukee School of Languages for middle and high school.

At MSL there are no "cliques" like at your traditional high school. You stick with your own, really. Being a freshman German, that's who she hung out with, unless she was in orchestra, where everyone mixed and mingled. She was relatively popular among all of the languages, and "Quinn Fabray" became a common name for most anyone walking the halls of MSL.

But like everywhere else, each language had their outcast. Among the French students, affectionately named "Frenchies" it was Brittany S. Pierce, because mainly she had a hard time keeping up with the class in its entirety. For the Spanish students, their "popular" kid was Santana Lopez. Their outcast, due to being driven by her goals and need to succeed and outshine them all, was Rachel Berry.

Mike Chang and Artie Abrams sighed as they walked into class, another hour of Japanese. But their parents wanted them at the best school, so it was a small price to be payed. Mike made his way to the back, and sat next to Tina Cohen-Chang, striking up a conversation.

In French class, Kurt and Mercedes were just catching up on all of the last week of summer festivities, and gossiping about the new exchange student, Sam Evans, from Quebec for a year.

Finn and Noah Puckerman were spending their Chinese class making airplanes to throw at their teacher while she was preoccupied. They were just waiting for the end of the day so they could get to football practice to meet the other players from the alliance team. Puck was bored, so he pulled out his phone to text Santana, hoping she wasn't busy, forgetting she was in gym class.

Josh Zallar was excited. He was fresh out of college and ready to jump into this. He was an orchestra teacher, and wanted to start up a choir, much like what they had at his high school back in the day. He walked into his new class and grabbed one of each of the 4 string instruments in the room to demonstrate for the incoming sixth graders, and pushed some stuff around the classroom. He spent his prep hour asking the principal Ms. Smith about his idea for an after school activity.

The afternoon announcements after the first day were full of bus protocol as well as the upcoming electives. Like every year, Quinn kept listening for anything interesting. There was the slam poetry team and the choir. Two new activities, as well as the cheerleading squad, also known as the Drill Team.

Class let out 10 minutes early for everyone to find their bus, but Quinn hung back so she could reorganize her locker, before walking home. After separating her notebooks from her folders and leaving the bottom open for books, which she should be getting in a week, she left out the playground door. Walking past the busses, waving to those who yell out the windows at her, she made her way through the park. Quinn dug her iPod out of her pocket and turned it up full blast, trying to tune out the world around her as she made her lonely 20 minute walk.

She never used to be so alone on her walk, but with Frannie having graduated two years ago, she tries to find a new way to occupy herself every year. Last year, the objective was to see how long she could kick a single rock, or a chunk of ice on her mile walk. She ended that abruptly after slipping on black ice too many times. This year, she's just going to listen to music, and maybe find a friend to walk home with.

Never having looked behind her on her walks home, she never noticed that Rachel Berry lived half a mile further than her.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Glee.

Walking through the hall to second period the next day, Quinn almost got ran over. She grabbed the little sixth grader, crouching to his level, smiling.

"Hey, you're a sixth grader, new here. I'm a freshman. Trust me, four minutes is plenty of time, without running, alright?" she explained to him, softly, before giving him a light push in the direction he was headed. Stopping at her locker, she picked up her notebook for chemistry. Day two and they were already on page 3 of notes, because Mr. Tao felt the need to get them started early.

Sitting down in chemistry, she sighed when she heard the click of the microphone for announcements. "We have a brief announcement before the beginning of second hour. Attention high school students interested in joining choir. You will be meeting in the orchestra room every day during sixth hour lunch period. That's room 141." Taking in this new information, Quinn decided to join the New Directions.

She stared down at her schedule, thinking about what classes she shared with her friends, and thinking about what would happen if she actually did cut lunch. She decided to do it, especially because she had orchestra fifth hour anyway.

Third and fourth hour were a blur of new faces, and overly friendly teachers. She was more than happy to get out of her Geometry class fourth hour, because Ms. Bolden was starting to freak her out a bit. Stopping at her locker on the way, because today was the first day they played together, Quinn made her way to orchestra.

As usual, she sat in the first chair spot for viola, and set up her stand. She smiled warmly up at Mr. Zallar, also known as "Mr. Z". Going through a round of tuning, she led her section in a warm up. At the end of class, she took her time packing up, before putting her viola back in the cabinet that had housed it since she was a sixth grader, and took her seat again.

She watched as a couple of kids made their way into the room. She took inventory around her and saw Brittany and Santana, forever joined at the hip, Rachel, Puck, Finn, Artie, Mike and Tina. She turned to face the other side and saw Kurt and Mercedes talking to the new kid, Sam. This group kind of shocked her, but she just sat in her chair, waiting for Mr. Z to start.

In German that day, Quinn sat down talking to Shannon.

"You know, it's a shame German is the only language at this school without a social studies class. I mean, even French with their whole 12 kids has it. But we also haven't had social studies in German since sixth grade."

"Yeah," Shannon replied sadly. "I miss Ackermann's class, even though none of us had reading comprehension until eighth grade."

Both of them started laughing at that, until Herr Wiegand threatened to kick them both out. The thing with reading comprehension was, if you missed Frau Ackermann's class once, you had to read to catch up. The whole book was in German though, so you sat there for an hour reading a page. Both Quinn and Shannon had lessons during her class that year. Both simultaneously shuddered at the thought.

They both walked out of German in stitches after catching up about all of the summer events. Quinn caught up with Brittany and Santana, walking to Britt's locker with them. The bell rang and Quinn had to run, because this was the first after school Slam Poetry meeting. She was excited to be joining the Bilingual Poets.

Walking into Ms. Shumway's room, she looked around. Once again, she saw Rachel in her activity and sighed. She couldn't get away from the little Jew even if she tried. One of the downsides of having such a small school; it's hard to avoid people.

Finally, after a rather productive meeting, Quinn stopped at her locker, before exiting the playground door and starting her walk home. On the corner block of school, preoccupied with her iPod, she knocked someone over.

"I'm so sorry! I really need to watch where I'm going!" She stuck out her hand to help the kid up. When they stood up, their hair fell out of their face, and she flushed. She had just plowed over Rachel Berry. She shyly pulled her hand back before starting the walk again.

After about 10 feet she realized Rachel was headed the same way as her, so she started some polite conversation. It was the first time she wasn't lonely walking home in two years.

**Key

Herr- Mister

Frau- Miss/Missus


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Glee.

Walking to school the next day, Quinn looked around for any sign of Rachel. She didn't see her, so she didn't think much of it. Turning on her iPod, she made her way to school, kicking a rock most of the way there. She decided today it was okay, because the leaves haven't even started changing color yet.

Taking her seat in English, she zoned out. What is the point in learning literary terms now, when they get their books tomorrow? And besides, who uses the word hyperbole? Other than Robin.

"Holy hyperbole, Batman!"

Not realizing she said this out loud, when the class laughed, she was confused. Aaron turns to her and pats her on the back and she flushes a deep red. She was in for a long day today.

Today in chemistry she got more notes and a packet, only, because she was a member of the only freshman English class taught by Ms. Laufenberg, she had no book to do the packet with. Everyone else had already paired up, so she scanned the room. Rachel had her book open and out without a partner.

Quinn made her way over there."Hey, Rachel…mind if I share your book with you? I don't get mine until tomorrow because I have Laufenberg, not Shumway." Rachel just nodded, so Quinn pulled up a desk next to her, working at Rachel's pace. They ended up working together, sharing and going over answers and explanations.

"Quinn?" Quinn turned and looked at Rachel. "Mind if we keep partnering up? We work well together, and will work even better if we both have a book." She flushed, embarrassed and nervous to be asking.

"Sure. We make a pretty awesome team," Quinn nudged Rachel's shoulder with her own, before putting her stuff away and writing her homework (or lack thereof) in her district mandated student planner.

Civics with Mr. Smith was just as hyper and fun as every day. Some citizenship, with a side of humor. He adds a splash of sarcasm, and voila! The perfect way to make civics interesting. The guy even made the first joke about the fact that he's balding!

Geometry with Santana and Rachel was...interesting, for lack of a better word. She had to sit between the two of them so Santana wouldn't go all "Lima Heights Adjacent" on her. She doesn't even know what Rachel did today, and neither of them will talk about it either. Luckily for this class, Bolden had printed packets for the bookwork, because thanks to the two Spanish students she was between, she got none of it done.

Walking into orchestra, she was happy to just have some time to express herself with her instrument. She got out her stuff, and tuned up. Playing a D major scale for a warm up, she opens her eyes to see the new second chair cellist next to her. She started to wonder when Rachel even started playing cello, but decided to ignore it. However, it is hard to ignore someone when their bow keeps stabbing you in the ribs.

"Rachel! Can you get your section to scoot over a little, before you puncture my lung?"

"That's what I kept hitting?" Rachel asked bewildered. Quinn couldn't help but crack a smile at her obliviousness. After class they both packed up and sat in their chairs, an awkward silence filling the air.

"So, Rachel…want to walk home with me tomorrow? I'm going to the boys' soccer game tonight."

"I'd be delighted, Quinn."

"Meet you at the park a block from here then?" Rachel just smiled in return. Quinn got up and moved to the back by Brittany and Santana, yelling at Santana about what happened in Geometry.

Whoever invented dodge ball, Quinn was going to kill them. That was the third ball she had taken to the face, not to mention the two others that pelted her left leg, and the other one that hit her right in the stomach. She honestly wanted to research who invented dodge ball tonight, just so she could curse their name in gym tomorrow. Never in her life has she been happier for German class.

Looking around the German room, Quinn starts to truly think about the people in this room with her. She honestly thinks about how much they truly judge her and what friends she truly has. She has Shannon and Rebecca in here. That's about it. They were the only two she could trust with her secret lesbianism.

Being a closet lesbian was hard for Quinn. Even after knowing these people for 11 years, she still felt like she wasn't allowed to be herself around them. Only two of them. Yet, here she finds herself in the bleachers, watching the JV boys soccer team finish up, yelling out to Juan; her "Bass Playin' Brother". She waits for varsity to come out, because she's here to support Aaron, who she has gotten close to since middle school in German class.

This year, when soccer season comes around, she plans on joining. The team is coached by Herr Wiegand, it'll keep her occupied, and she thinks the warm ups are really comfortable. MSL is too small to have a cheerleading team and it turns out Drill Team was just synchronized dance. Last week of November, conditioning starts.

Hopping on the boys' bus back to school, she starts walking home for the second time today. Getting home, she pulls out her planner and sighs, realizing she still has to make note cards for English, do her 15 questions for Geometry and study the vocabulary for her German Rechtschreibprüfung. She decided to get German out of the way first, because she just can't think in English right now anyway.

**Rechtschreibprüfung – Spelling test


End file.
